Douglas Aiken was born in Petrolia on June 9, 1921, the son of Norman Russell Aiken and Loretta Mae (nee Hillier, born in Lambton, Ontario) Aiken, of 214 Proctor Street, Sarnia. His father was a C.N.R. employee in Sarnia. Douglas had one brother, Laverne Russell (born 1919). Parents Norman and Loretta were married in February of 1917 in Sarnia. Douglas’ father, Norman Russell, died in 1937, when Douglas was sixteen years old. A graduate of Sarnia Collegiate Douglas was a carrier boy for the Canadian Observer while attending SCITS. He was employed with the Sarnia Bridge Company until his enlistment. Douglas, single at the time, enlisted in October of 1940 and the next month was transferred from No. 1 Manning Pool, Toronto to the Dunnville Aircraft school of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Douglas Aiken would receive his wings April 6, 1943 at No. 9 S.F.T.S. (Service Flying Training School) at Centralia (near Exeter, Ontario). By mid-April of 1943, after spending a brief furlough in Sarnia with his mother and friends, Douglas left for duty in Halifax. He would arrive overseas at the end of May in 1943.
Douglas went overseas as a member of RAF #44 Rhodesia Squadron “Fulmina Regis Lusta” (The King’s thunderbolts are righteous), in June 1943. Approximately one year later, Loretta Aiken received the news that her son, Douglas Aiken, had been promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer-Pilot early in the month of June 1944. He had written to his mother the week before, mentioning that he had been engaged in missions over enemy-held territory in Europe.
One year after arriving overseas, on June 25, 1944, the Lancaster aircraft ND751 which Douglas Aiken was piloting on a bombing mission was lost during operations against Pommereval, France, during the Battle of Normandy. It was his 18th operational sortie. In late June of 1944, Loretta, still in Sarnia, received a telegram from the R.C.A.F. casualty officer at Ottawa informing her that her son, Pilot Officer Douglas Aiken was reported missing in action after air operations overseas on June 25. No other details were provided, but the message said further details would be forwarded when available. It was not until one year later that Loretta received another message from Ottawa about her missing son. In late June of 1945, a telegram from Ottawa informed her that her son, Pilot Officer Douglas L. Aiken, is now for official purposes presumed to have been killed in action June 25, 1944.
Douglas Aiken would later be officially listed as, Previously reported missing after air operations, now for official purpose, presumed dead, overseas (France). Perishing with Douglas Aiken were WO. R.A. Riddoch; P/O A.M. Simmons, Sgt. J. Hare (RAF), H.A. Lewarne (RAF), and J. Lewis (RAF); and FS. F.S. Rawson (RAF). Twenty-three year old Douglas Aiken is buried in Criquetot-Sur-Longueville Churchyard, France British Plot, Joint grave 2.
SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, J, L, M, N, 2C, 2D, 2O